Musical Monday: Top o’ the Morning (1949)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Top O’ the Morning (1949) – Musical #450

top o the morning

Studio:
Paramount Pictures

Director:
David Miller

Starring:
Bing Crosby, Ann Blyth, Barry Fitzgerald, Hume Cronyn, Eileen Crowe, John McIntire, Tudor Owen, Jimmy Hunt, Morgan Farley,

Plot:
When the Blarney Stone is stolen from an Irish village, an American insurance investigator Joe Mulqueen (Crosby) travels to Ireland to investigate. In Ireland, the local police Sergeant Briany McNaughton (Fitzgerald) is trying to investigate the case. Joe falls for McNaughton’s daughter Conn (Blyth).

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Musical Monday: Roberta (1935)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

robertaThis week’s musical:
Roberta (1935) – Musical #106

Studio:
RKO Studio Pictures

Director:
William A. Seiter

Starring:
Irene Dunne, Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire, Randolph Scott, Helen Westley, Claire Dodd, Ferdinand Munier, Luis Alberni, Victor Varconi

Plot:
Former American football hero, John Kent (Scott), travels to Paris with his pal Huck Haines (Astaire) and Haines’s jazz band. Huck and his band fail to secure a job, and the group is down on their luck. John seeks help from his Aunt Minnie (Westley) who runs an exclusive fashion house, immediately falling for her assistant Stephanie (Dunne). The jazz band finds success with the help of a phony countess (Rogers). But things get complicated when John inherits the fashion house.

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Watching 1939: That’s Right — You’re Wrong (1939)

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In 2011, I announced I was trying to see every film released in 1939. This new series chronicles films released in 1939 as I watch them. As we start out this blog feature, this section may become more concrete as I search for a common thread that runs throughout each film of the year. Right now, that’s difficult.

1939 film:
That’s Right — You’re Wrong (1939)

Release date:
Nov. 24, 1939

Cast:
Kay Kyser’s Band as themselves: Kay Kyser, Harry Babbitt, Ginny Sims, Ish Kibble
Adolph Menjou, May Robson, Lucille Ball, Dennis O’Keefe, Edward Everett Horton, Roscoe Karns, Moroni Olsen, Hobart Cavanaugh
Themselves: Sheilah Graham, Hedda Hopper, Erskine Johnson, Feg Murray, Fred Orthman

Studio:
RKO Radio Pictures

Director:
David Butler

Plot:
A film studio is on the rocks financially. When they hear Kay Kyser’s (himself) successful radio program, they want to make a film with Kyser. Once the band arrives in Hollywood, several of the bandmates let success go to his head, writers can’t fit a story to Kyser, and there’s a threat that Kyser’s female singer, Ginny Simms (herself), will be replaced by another actress (Ball).

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Musical Monday: Stars Over Broadway (1935)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Stars Over Broadway (1935) – Musical #700

stars on broadway3

Studio:
Warner Bros.

Director:
William Keighley

Starring:
Pat O’Brien, James Melton, Jane Froman, Jean Muir, Frank McHugh, Eddie Conrad, William Ricciardi, Marie Wilson, Frank Fay, E.E. Clive
Himself: Jack Dempsey, the Morgan Family

Plot:
Theatrical agent Al McGillevray (O’Brien) is on the ropes and unsuccessful. He’s about to end it all until he hears the singing voice of porter Jan (Melton). Al is reinvigorated and wants to try to put over Jan King as a singer. Training his voice, he finds him a steady gig. But success goes to Jan’s head and starts to tumble.

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Musical Monday: Reet, Petite, and Gone (1947)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Reet, Petite, and Gone (1947) – Musical #702

Reet Petite

Studio:
Astor Pictures

Director:
William Forest Crouch

Starring:
Louis Jordan & The Tympany Five, June Richmond, Milton Woods, Bea Griffith, Lorenzo Tucker, Pat Rainey, Vanita Smythe, David Bethea

Plot:
Sklyer Jarvis (Jordan) is on his death bed and remembering his lost love. He wants his son, bandleader Louis Jarvis (also Jordan), to marry Honey Carter (Griffith), the daughter of Skyler’s former girlfriend. The marriage is the only way Louis will inherit his father’s fortune. Unfortunately, Skyler’s unscrupulous lawyer (Tucker) tries to change Skyler’s will and keep the couple apart.

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Musical Monday: Ski Party (1965)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

ski partyThis week’s musical:
Ski Party (1965) – Musical #696

Studio:
American International Pictures

Director:
Alan Rafkin

Starring:
Frankie Avalon, Dwayne Hickman, Deborah Walley, Yvonne Craig, Aron Kincaid, Michael Nader, Bobbie Shaw, Patti Chandler, Luree Holmes, Robert Q. Lewis, Steven Rogers, Mikki Jamison, Salli Sachse
Themselves: James Brown, Lesley Gore, The Hondells
Cameo: Annette Funicello

Plot:
Todd (Avalon) and Craig (Hickman) are unsuccessful with women, especially compared to campus hunk Freddie Carter (Kincaid). To better understand women, learn how Freddie wins women, and get closer to the girls they like —Linda (Walley) and Barbara (Craig) — Todd and Craig join a college ski trip. Part of this involves dressing up like English co-eds, Nora and Jane.

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Watching 1939: Everything’s On Ice (1939)

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In 2011, I announced I was trying to see every film released in 1939. This new series chronicles films released in 1939 as I watch them. As we start out this blog feature, this section may become more concrete as I search for a common thread that runs throughout each film of the year. Right now, that’s difficult.

everythings on ice1939 film:
Everything’s On Ice (1939)

Release date:
Oct. 6, 1939

Cast:
Irene Dare, Roscoe Karnes, Edgar Kennedy, Lynne Roberts, Eric Linden, George Meeker, Wade Boteler

Studio:
RKO Radio Pictures

Director:
Erle C. Kenton

Plot:
Child ice skater Irene (Dare) is exploited by her chiseling uncle Felix (Karns) when he signs her up to perform at a resort in Florida. Felix is also trying to arrange romances with Irene’s older sister, Jane (Roberts), that seem to be financially profitable. Pretty soon, it becomes apparent that everyone is trying to use everyone else for money.

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Musical Monday: Thin Ice (1937)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

thin ice 2This week’s musical:
Thin Ice (1937) – Musical #701

Studio:
20th Century Fox

Director:
Sidney Lanfield

Starring:
Sonja Henie, Tyrone Power, Joan Davis, Arthur Treacher, Raymond Walburn, Sig Ruman, Alan Hale, Leah Ray, Melville Cooper, George Givot

Plot:
An international conference is held at the ski resort, Grand Hotel Imperial in St. Christophe in the Alps, where a pact will be signed. Prince Rudolph (Power) pretends to be ill to create tensions before the pact is signed and goes skiing. While on skis, he meets the hotel’s skate instructor Lili (Henie). The two fall in love without Lili knowing who he is.

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Musical Monday: Ring-A-Ding Rhythm (1962)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

rhing a dingThis week’s musical:
Ring-A-Ding Rhythm (UK Title: It’s Trad, Dad) (1962) – Musical #699

Studio:
Columbia Pictures

Director:
Richard Lester

Starring:
Helen Shapiro, Craig Douglas, Felix Felton
Themselves: Chubby Checker, Gene Vincent, The Brook Brothers, Gene McDaniels, John Leyton, Del Shannon, Gary U.S. Bonds, The Paris Sisters, The Dukes of Dixieland, Chris Barber’s Jazz Band, Ottilie Patterson, Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band, Terry Lightfoot and His New Orleans Jazz Band, Bob Wallis and His Storyville Jazzmen, Temperance Seven, Sounds Incorporated, David Jacobs, Pete Murray, Alan Freeman, Felix Felton

Plot:
The mayor (Felton) hates the jazz that the teens in town are listening to, and tries to ban the jukebox in the local coffee shop. Helen and Craig (themselves) plan a jazz festival to bring the adults around to that style of music. The pair travel around to different studios and night clubs to persuade disc jockeys and musicians to perform.

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Watching 1939: Twelve Crowded Hours (1939)

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1939 film:
Twelve Crowded Hours (1939)

twelve crowdedRelease date:
Feb. 23, 1939

Cast:
Richard Dix, Lucille Ball, Allan Lane, Donald MacBride, Cy Kendall, John Arledge, Granville Bates, John Gallaudet, Murry Alper, Allan Lane, Bradley Page, Dorothy Lee, Addison Richards, Frank Faylen (uncredited), Kay Sutton (uncredited), Blue Washington (uncredited), Dorothy Lovett (uncredited)

Studio:
RKO Pictures

Director:
Lew Landers

Plot:
When his editor is murdered, reporter Nick Green works to solve the murder. To make matters worse, the murder may involve the brother of his girlfriend, Paula (Ball).

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